Microsoft will soon add a media player to Xbox One that will let you play most video formats from a USB device or wirelessly from a NAS or PC via DLNA. It will also be possible to stream TV channels to your smartphone or tablet.

Xbox One becomes a media player
At Gamescom, Microsoft announced its latest updates for Xbox One. A new media player will allow you to play video formats such as .avi and .mkv on the game console.


You can connect an USB hard drive or USB stick, but you can also wirelessly stream from a network hard drive or PC via the DLNA system. Microsoft says that Xbox One will support more formats than Xbox 360. The full list of video formats is available here. 

Another new feature is the ability to stream TV channels to a smartphone or tablet. It will only work inside your home and will require the new TV tuner for Xbox. You need to install the SmartGlass app on your iOS, Android or Windows Phone, but it works while you are playing a game on Xbox One. 

Lastly, Microsoft announced a range of new games. You can watch the trailers on Microsoft’s Xbox YouTube page.